The Greater Lyon Exhibition and Convention Bureau has reported reassuring results for the beginning of the 2009 season. Although there has been a significant decrease in corporate events since May 2008, association conventions are holding up well: the Greater Lyon Exhibition and Convention Bureau attracted 80 professional events in 2009, 9 of which are bringing in 1,000 to 4,800 participants.
The expertise of the Greater Lyon Exhibition and Convention Bureau in working with associations has enabled Lyon to host events such as the French Language Pneumology Convention in January 2009, attracting 4,800 participants to the Lyon Convention Center, or next October, Hydro 2009, which will bring together 1,200 participants and in November, the Congress of the European Society for Sexual Medicine (2,500 participants) and the 31st Congress of Senology and Mammary Pathology (1,000 participants).
In 2008, 12 professional events with over 1,000 participants were held in Lyon, ranking the destination in the top 40 cities hosting international conventions, namely in 35th place worldwide (out of 49 total, including 14 cities in a tie) whereas it only came in at number 70 in 2007, according to the annual ranking of the ICCA: the International Congress & Convention Association.
The ranking of the UIA (the Union of International Associations) situates Lyon in 2nd place in France for 2008, behind Paris. At the European level, Lyon ranks 19th and at international level, 25th.
